Most nonprofit and social impact leaders share a belief in the positive potential of human beings. We seek to alleviate suffering and lift up the good in people. We advocate, champion, and care for the needs of others. So why don’t more of our workplaces reflect these core values and beliefs?

While our purpose in the sector is to empower others, we aren’t immune to limiting beliefs that permeate our educational and economic systems, namely “there isn’t room at the top for all of us.” This is an example of “scarcity thinking,” and without even realizing it, many managers in the social impact sector are steeped in it.

Set aside some time, for your staff to share their emotions with each other. The five stages of grief can serve as a container for your staff to share their emotions. The five stages of grief; denial/numbness, anger, bargaining/analyzing, depression, and acceptance and part of a normal human response to great loss. Acceptance is usually last, but the other four stages do not necessarily proceed in a linear fashion. In fact, you may start with bargaining and then get overwhelmed and turn to numbness. You might feel trapped in anger for days, or so depressed you wonder if you will ever be able to take action again. You will. Feeling the anger, or the depression, is part of the process and none of these stages are permanent.